August 13

Written by Bill Grandi on August 13th, 2025

I know. I said yesterday’s post might be the last of the week due to Jo and me traveling to celebrate Janna’s birthday. It really isn’t until the 23rd but that is a Saturday and since I have some kind of responsibility on Sunday morning 🙂  and then most of next week, it worked out best for us to go early. Unfortunately, we will not get to see Braden, our grandson. He is in Canada hiking with one of his other grandmothers (he has three) and her husband. And trust me when I say he would not be hiking with Jo! Lord willing, we are there even as you read this. 

I had no plans to do another post but while cutting grass Monday night (It was 7:15 and still 90 degrees) I had my headphones on as I normally do. A song came on in which the lyrics really stood out to me because of their truth. I’m going to simply ask that you take a few minutes and listen. Some of you are familiar with my music and immediately shudder thinking, “Oh no!” But this is not one of those that will make your ears cry out for relief. Promise!  I had someone listen to it and he said, “It is so ’80s.” Yes, it is. I liked and like ’80s music. 🙂

https://youtu.be/nF1Gl61rSRg?si=xklyjm1Gvr83eRuQ

And just in case YouTube decides to go all wonky on you, it is called Road to Eternity by Hearts on Fire. I’m sorry the lyrics are not embedded in the song, but he sings clearly and you should have no issues understanding him. I hope you will give it a listen and then remember what it says.  Have a great day today! 

 

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August 12

Written by Bill Grandi on August 12th, 2025

Napoleon Bonaparte once said:

The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies’. 

Hard to argue with that isn’t it? I can still see images of movies of soldiers paralyzed by the battle. I remember watching Saving Private Ryan and the opening scene had grown men wetting their pants. Fear is palpable and is not out of line in a scene of chaos. Efforts by people (so-called leaders) to control the chaos by fear or manipulation or harsh language is, in my mind, counterproductive. I also recently read this quote:

If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. (Abraham Maslow, American psychologist quoted in Following Jesus in an LGBTQ+ World by Guy Hammond)

Oh… relax this is not going to be a rant on that subject. Coming from the church world when I have spent 52 of my 72 years on earth, I have seen all kinds of leaders. And yes, I have seen those whose method of cooperation was not that at all. It could be rightly called intimidation or, to borrow from Mr. Maslow, using a hammer to get an agenda across. I’m not even talking about sexual manipulation, although that certainly enters into some discussions. I’m talking instead about the “leader” who yields a hammer or a sword to get his agenda across. 

The mission of the church is then compromised and the atmosphere surrounding the church and office staff is one of a battlefield. It sadly becomes us vs. them, or worse, me vs. you. I remember the late pastor, Charles Stanley, once preaching and saying,

Shepherds don’t beat sheep; they feed sheep.

I have NEVER been able to forget that statement. Any leader worth his salt will remember that. Pastor. CEO. Trainer. Business owner. Foreman. Whatever the leadership role, more is accomplished by the right approach-and it’s not using a hammer! My secretary loves birds. She has a bird feeder stuck to the outside of her office window. Each morning she comes in and puts some bird feed in the feeder. It is a gathering place for all kind of birds, until a bully comes along and either scares them all away or just bullies. I watched just yesterday morning when a bird (she could tell you what it was but I can’t) landed and then pushed another bird off the feeder. There are so-called leaders who lead that same way. 

Let’s stop, whether we are a leader or not, trying to bully our way to OUR conclusion. Instead, let’s be humble like Jesus and love our fellow workers, whether they are our equals or subordinates. More is won with honey than acid. 

{This may be my last post for this week. Jo and I will be heading to Ohio to celebrate Janna’s birthday with her. Can she really be mid-40s?} 🙂

 

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August 11

Written by Bill Grandi on August 11th, 2025

I’m guessing that we have all either been faced with or used a familiar saying.  “And why did you stop going to church or why do you not go?” Here it is: ready for it?

“Because the church is made up of hypocrites.” “There are too many hypocrites” or some version of that accusation. 

You know? That argument is so weak it is weak.  

Of course there are! Find one who isn’t? 

But let me back up a bit. Define hypocrite.  There is the rub. If by being a sinner, we are all hypocrites. Even the person who is making the accusation.  🙂 But being a hypocrite is much more than that.  Hypocrisy is the mortal enemy of the work of God’s amazing grace. It is not hypocritical to commit to live as God commanded and to fail. Which we all will do. The difference is that hypocrisy involves intentionality. Hypocrisy makes a public confession of commitment to God but has no intention of living out that public confession. Hypocrisy settles for religious displays but no desire to “practice what I preach.”  Shades of Jesus’ words in Mt. 23:3 & 5: “So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach….Everything they do is for show.”  

The problem with hypocrisy is we often fool ourselves into thinking that all we have to do is some religious ritual(s) and we are good to go. Went to church. Check. Sang songs. Check. Taught a kid’s class. Check. Worked in the nursery. Check. Listened to Pastor Bill drone on. Check. (That should get them a free ticket to heaven! 🙂 )  Helped pick up stuff. Check. I got a lot of check marks on my “Good-to-go” list.  And therein likes the danger. Assuming doing religious stuff is all we need to do. No change of lifestyle. No change of language. No change of the way I treat people. No change from “It’s all about me.” That is the definition of a hypocrite. 

Let’s stop kidding ourselves. Let’s start being real. Let’s start practicing what we preach outside the walls of the church building. Will we sin? You bet. But that doesn’t make us a hypocrite; it makes us human. And I’d rather be human than a fake person pretending to be someone I have no intention of being. 

 

 

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August 7

Written by Bill Grandi on August 7th, 2025

“Well, that was a wasted trip.” Those were the words I used to my wife after making a trip to Bloomington (which I don’t like doing) to go see someone in the hospital. When I got there after two other essential errands of returning tech equipment, the man was not in his room. When I asked a nurse, she was able to tell me he was in dialysis and would be for about 4 hours. Dialysis, in his case, is every other day come rain or shine. Little did I know Wednesday was one of the days. So now you have the reason for my comment to my wife. 

But as I thought about it more, was it really a wasted trip? Sure, I was able to return some equipment so there is that. I actually killed three birds with one stone. But beyond that is something even deeper. The man’s wife was nowhere around either so I texted her to tell her I had come to see ______, but he was in dialysis, so I would plan to come tomorrow. I knew I already had a lunch appointment in Bloomington with a man from the church who is considering a leadership position, so I figured I would kill two birds with one stone. 🙂  Shortly after, I received a return text from his wife and she said she went home “to wash the stink off her” but then was heading back over. But then came the words that have given me pause. Three times she said, “Thank you so very much.” 

Those words changed the course of my “this was a waste of time to come over here” thinking to “Maybe it wasn’t a waste of time.”  I let two people know (I left a note for him to see when he got back to the room) that I loved them and cared about them. You see, as a pastor, I’m also a shepherd. That is what the word means: pastor = shepherd. A pastor who doesn’t visit his people or care about their well-being either ought to change his title or quit the ministry. Some have already changed their title to “lord” or “boss” or “CEO” or some other ugly twist on their role. I  tried that CEO approach once. I was asked to leave since I was such a failure. God gave me a shepherd’s heart not a CEO’s heart. 

Please understand: I’m not tooting my own horn. I’m just letting you know that deeds done out of kindness and love, not drudgery or compulsion, are never wasted. Have you let someone know recently how much they mean to you by caring about them? Showing love is never a waste of time. 

 

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August 6

Written by Bill Grandi on August 6th, 2025

I lost my cool yesterday. 

I know that surprises many of you since pastors are not supposed to do that but we are to always be cool, calm, and collected. 

HOWEVER, the “lost cool” was not directed at a person. Unless you consider AI a person (I don’t) or technology in general (I definitely don’t). 🙂 

Here is how it went down. The past three or four days I have been dropping internet on my office computer. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. You get my drift. Send something and it goes. Turn around and try to send something else and the operative word becomes “try.” You guessed it. “I’m sorry connection timed out.” G-r-r-r-r. Honestly, I am much more patient with people than I am with technology. Compound that with the same kind of stuff at home and you have a volcano waiting to erupt. Okay…not erupt but simmer. I didn’t lose my religion, i.e. say words I shouldn’t say. I finally did something else. I went to make breakfast. But lo, and behold, my frustrations carried over. I dropped an egg shell on the floor. The worst part? I turned the wrong burner on and couldn’t figure out why the butter wouldn’t melt. Oh…the butter didn’t but the cover over the wrong burner began to get this smell and now has a black burn circle on it. Shhh, don’t tell anyone I did that. Oops, that is the second burner I have done that too! 🙂

Working in the kitchen or with technology shows my incompetence.  I once had someone tell me, “Bill, you are technologically-challenged.” I couldn’t argue with that logic! And I know I am kitchen-challenged. You want water burned? I’m your man! You want a nice meal? Well…you know the answer to that. 

I’m glad God’s acceptance of me is not determined by my incompetence in the kitchen or with technology or with life in general. Romans 7:14-21 (please take time to read it) says more about me than I care to admit. I will never measure up. I will always be sinfully-challenged. But the latter end of that passage in verses 24-25 says, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (NLT)

I know I will lose my cool again. I try not to but there is this battle inside of me that rages. I suspect I am not alone? 

 

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August 5

Written by Bill Grandi on August 5th, 2025

I’d like to continue my thoughts on the Accessible Church by Sandra Peoples. You can check out my post yesterday on how we are all special needs people by reading this. Let me take it today in another direction. 

One of the famous initials from the last few years was DEI. Now, I know exactly what they mean when they say that. So let me give you a heads up when I say I am going to use the word inclusion here but do not want it to be associated with those initials. Those initials were used to water down, in the church’s case, the power and exclusion of the gospel in daily life. I want to be clear that when I say inclusion  I am standing firmly on the Bible as God’s written, infallible Word. No watering down. No compromise. 

Let me start with a story from Sandra’s book. Jessica and Grant and their two sons visited the church Elizabeth was a part of. During the welcome, Scripture reading, opening prayers, and music, the younger of the two sons wiggled in his chair, played on the floor, use his chair as a spot to draw on, stood on his toes and rocked during the music all while covering his ears, and when it came time to sit down for the sermon he tried to get past his dad. He was prepared. The mother was prepared with colored pencils, chewing gum, and a myriad of other things. The older brother acted disinterested. The attention the son received was from other church members. The husband left with his son and went into the lobby where he was able to watch on the TV screen. As soon as the service was over the mom and older son left. Elizabeth ran them down, introduced herself, and told them she was glad they came. In the ensuing conversation she shared how she had a nephew with autism and what the church did for him. 

Long story short they became actively involved in that church…all because one woman reached out and expressed an understanding. Sort of like Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Philip reached out to the man who was searching. Philip was an example of the true meaning of the word inclusion. As Sandra explains it: approach, ask, and adjust. Do you see that is what Elizabeth did? She approached them. She asked questions. She offered them a way to find accessibility in order for them and their son to be included! The goal of inclusion is not to compromise truth or to make someone feel better. No. The goal of inclusion is for a family and their special needs child to be able to hear, understand, and respond to the gospel message of Good News. 

I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and go where “angels fear to tread.” Approach a special needs parent. Ask questions. Help them feel welcome. You’ll be glad you did. 

 

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August 4

Written by Bill Grandi on August 4th, 2025

I began reading a book last week entitled Accessible Church by Sandra Peoples. It probably it not what you are thinking. It is not a book about the church being more open and “freer” in what they teach and do. The subtitle of the book is A Gospel-Centered Vision for Including People with Disabilities and Their Families. A month or so ago I read and posted about reading another book similar to this one called Unbroken Faith by Diane Dokko Kim. Mrs. Kim’s son was diagnosed with severe autism and it is more of a devotional journey as she made her way through life with her oldest son. While I have just started Mrs. Peoples’ book, I can already tell it is different. 

Why have I started reading and researching the church’s response to special needs children? Because like most churches, we have several children (no adults yet) who are special needs. I have two goals in my reading:

  1. Understand more since my wife have not had to face this
  2. Ask myself the question: what can the church do? 

I actually wrote about this in my last post (here). But I want to elaborate a bit more. It is easy and typical to feel uneasy about autistic, Down’s, hearing impaired, ADHD and others. But it is not lost on me what the church’s response should be.  Here is why: Consider for a moment an incident in the life of Jesus in Mark 2:1-2. It is the story of the paralytic and his four friends who lowered him through the roof because they couldn’t get inside through the front door. It doesn’t tell us when he was paralyzed-from birth, from an accident, or from an untreatable illness. The short story is they lowered him through the roof, Jesus marveled at their faith and forgave this man’s sins, had an exchange with the religious leaders, then healed the man. 

Long and short of it? We are all special needs people. 

Just like the paralytic man could not save himself, neither can we. We all suffer from a universal disease. It is called S.I.N. Only in Christ can we find the healing from that disease. “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!).” Eph. 2:4-5 (NLT) 

That is the good news! Special needs people loved and wanted by a Savior who was willing to die to make it real. 

 

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July 31

Written by Bill Grandi on July 31st, 2025

“God permits what He hates to accomplish that which He loves.”  (Joni Eareckson Tada- quoted in Accessible Church by Sandra Peoples-p.15)

We have several families affected by special needs children. One has Williams Syndrome (Google it). They adopted her knowing this. BTW: that’s love. We also have several on the autism spectrum. I realize we are not the only church with children (and adults) who have special needs. God blessed Jo and me with totally healthy children-the worst they had were chicken pox. So, in all honesty, I struggle relating to parents who experience this. I read a previous book (and blogged about it) called Unbroken Faith by Diane Dokko Kim, who has a child on the autism spectrum. But that was not enough. So I’m in the process of reading Mrs. Peoples’ book and have another I will read when done called Boundless Hope for Every Child by Kim Botto. (I don’t know if the latter is a “Christian” book or not. It just sounded good and one I needed to read).

I’ve just started the People’s book so I can’t say much about it. (I’m at page 25 as I write this). But I can say this-or sing this (nah you’d rather I say it) 🙂  “Jesus loves the little children/All the children of the world/Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight/Jesus loves the little children of the world.” I wish I was musically-inclined so I could add words to that song that included special needs children. We (the church) sometimes do a very poor job of making them feel welcome and we make the parents feel like they are imposing. I have to brag here: the little girl with Williams Syndrome is now 3+. She is unable to speak or get around on her own. She says, “Lalalala” which means “I love you.” My bragging? She absolutely loves my daughter, Tami, because Tami absolutely loves her and shows her. When Tami is in the room no one else matters (even her parents). She sees Tami at school and she lights up. She is getting too big for the nursery but is not potty-trained. That daughter of mine told mom that she would go into the Pre-K class and be her one-on-one helper. I love that Tami spends every day with Kindergarten kids and yet finds it in her heart to love on this little girl. And the little one knows Tami loves her. That’s what special needs children need (and parents of special needs children). Tami’s willingness to do this for the little girl is also because she loves her parents and wants to give them a break as well. The little girl is curious and wants attention so mom and dad would get very little from the adult worship with her sitting, i.e. squirming, on their lap. In steps Tami. 

And so it goes. In steps the church. Making a way for special needs children. THIS IS A MUST! And there can be no excuses. I’ll write more in future posts. 

 

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July 30

Written by Bill Grandi on July 30th, 2025

“Assumption is the mother of all mess ups.” 

The actual quote (from Under Siege 2: Dark Territory) is quite a bit more graphic, but I refuse to use THAT word in any way, shape or form (even a quote). But the sentiment expressed in the quote is true no matter how it is expressed. Basically, it is saying that to make assumptions before the facts are known is dumb. I’d like to use a recent news event as an example. 

As I sat and ate my supper last night, I was appalled at the carnage which took place in NY the night before. I was so out of touch with the news that I didn’t even know it happened until a day later. I almost gagged on my supper as I read the heartbreaking news of 4 lost lives-one a police officer. More importantly, a husband, a father of two boys, and a soon-to-be-father of another child. I’m not going to comment on the mental state of the person who did the deed. He took his own life with a note saying to investigate his brain for a brain injury (CTE caused my football trauma).  Only time will tell as to the truth or untruth of what he says. That is not my point. 

What made me sick was listening to some people being interviewed automatically saying, “He was probably such-and such race.” That man was nowhere close! In fact, he was a mixed race individual, nowhere close to what he and other talking heads ASSUMED. But keep in mind my opening statement: “Assumption is the mother of mess-ups.” 

Enough talking about the news though. Let’s apply it, in my case, to the church. How often have we made an assumption about someone when they walked through our church door? Rich or poor? Black or white or (fill in the blank).  Trouble or Troubled. Special needs or “normal.” (I despise that distinction but don’t know how else to express it. Please forgive me if I offend you). Heterosexual or homosexual. See what I mean?  Assumptions are dangerous. There is no way we can assume what someone is like just by their appearance. The tragedy is when a judgment is made and that judgement clouds our ability to see who that person really is.  A failure to really see that person for he or she is keeps us from letting them know they are welcome. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” (NLT) There is often so much more going on inside a person’s heart than what is seen externally. Loneliness. Pain. Insecurity. Loveless. Lost. Empty. The list can go on for a long time. 

But we will NEVER see a person for who he or she is unless we drop the “assumption factor.”  Be aware: I’m not saying we drop our guard and “be all out there.” But let’s stop assuming what or who someone is by making external judgments before we get to know that person.

 

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July 29

Written by Bill Grandi on July 29th, 2025

I hate politics. I will repeat that so you know how badly I hate politics. I hate politics. Get my drift? If it wasn’t for wanting to know a little bit of what is going on in the world, I would not listen to FOX News (I’m sorry but I don’t trust the legacy media and the other stations? I’d rather not comment on). I have decided to limit myself to watching the news. 

So why am I wading into the cesspool of politics? I’m not. I’m making a comment on a recent decision that was made. Pastors can now talk about politics from the pulpit. I honestly don’t know if that means endorsing someone. I could care less. Why? Because here is my answer…two words: Aaaah NO!

You heard me correctly. NO! And it may make me a pariah among my fellow pastors. And it may make me persona non grata. But read my lips: NO! In case you have any doubt, would you like me to repeat that? Probably not. 🙂

Why am I being so snarky and adamant about that? Well, I’m glad you asked. For years, and I mean for years (so many I can’t count them), I have steadfastly refused to preach politics from the pulpit. It was illegal, for one. A church could lose its tax-exempt status if found guilty. So, obviously, I would refrain. Little did they know I could care less about losing tax-exempt status. I wasn’t going to preach politics anyway. Why?

BECAUSE THE PULPIT IS NOT THE PLACE TO DISCUSS POLITICS! IT IS THE PLACE TO TALK ABOUT JESUS-HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION AND HOW HE CAN CHANGE ANYONE’S LIFE WHO COMES TO HIM ALONE. 

Granted, a changed life does affect (or should) how we treat others. But to take sides or to endorse a particular candidate? Read it again: Aaaah NO!  “But Bill! Don’t you talk about abortion or same-sex attraction or some other issues plaguing our culture?” Yes, yes I do. But I do not see them as social issues; I see them as moral issues. They rank right up there with lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, etc. You know…the sins Moses mentions in Exodus 20 and Jesus talked about. Speaking out about sin is the right thing to do. Speaking out about and/or endorsing a political candidate is not. This world…and yes most churches…are divided politically. Why in the world would I want to widen the rift when God has left the church to do His (not a politician’s) work in this world? 

So…permission or not, the people of the church I pastor will never hear a political message or endorsement from the pulpit. They WILL HEAR an endorsement of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came to die, be buried and to raise again and to change lives and to make us new creatures. Case closed (and I’m done talking about it). 🙂 

 

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